Illusions
by Kazuya-sama
Summary: An unusual pairing, which you'll have to read to find out. The result; an even more unusual child. Was rated R for naughty scenes...but that wasn't necessary. Latest chapter: two old aquaintences renew their...aquaintenceship...
1. Behind Enemy Lines

*Chapter 1 is re-uploaded because of the large numbers of typos and stupid mistakes.

A/N: Hello again, everybody. Another random, weird idea like Crimson here. Only this time, I've talked to someone about it before. Chibi-Sugarbaby has heard about this one, and currently she is on strike two – dun ask. This is an unusual pairing with an unusual adaptation of both the Tekken timeline and story, and the Christian (Hah, I'm an anti-religious type…tho not quite an atheist.) storyline. I swear, no one else has EVER written this couple together, and most people with think I'm insane.

Btw, italics indicate a flashback.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken, though I'd love to. Namco owns Tekken, and Namco alone. Dun argue.

Tell me what you think of this pairing…

***  
  


Smiling softly, she watched the boy race around the forest clearing, cheerfully chasing butterflies that dared come near. It had been so long since she had that opportunity, and her son was something she was so proud of, something she cherished more than anything.

The boy's raven wings fluttered about behind him recklessly, leaving a trail of dark, fluffy feathers wherever he went. Thank goodness his thick black hair didn't do the same, though it stood up on its own accord behind his head no matter how much she tried to brush it down for him. He was an unusual child to say the least, and in many ways, he didn't look in the least bit like her; but he had her heart. He was kind, generous, forgiving, always seemed to be happy; and he was calm with a maturity well beyond his five years. 

As she leaned back against the fading bark of an old oak tree, she couldn't help but smile more as the boy got himself tangled up in a mass of limbs and wings and fell to the ground, giggling. It was not even a second later that he was on his feet again, bounding after the butterflies and birds that seemed to be so attracted to him.

_He has his father's energy and spirit,_ she thought to herself. Finally, since the sun was beginning to set, she decided it was nearly time to get showered up and ready for dinner. "Keiji, it's time for your shower!" Her soft, smooth voice had an underlying calm and never-ending patience. At the sound of it, he skidded to a halt, and glanced back at his mother. As usual, she got the same shock as he did so; what should have been dark brown eyes were glowing a bright golden yellow – but she should have been used to it, since he'd been like that since birth. 

Tilting his head to the side, he brushed the raven bangs from his face as he approached the woman. "Okay Okaasan. But can you play games with me after dinner?"

She smiled and scooped him up into her arms, nuzzling his shoulder playfully with her nose. "Of course, Keiji-chan. But first you have to clean up." He nodded and clung to his mother's flowing white robes, blowing aside a lock of her golden hair as it brushed against his nose. After pulling off her shoes, she placed him back down on his feet and ushered him into the small wooden house by the clearing that had now been eradicated of butterflies – for they feared they would be chased again.

Obediently, Keiji wiped his bare feet on the door mat, then raced inside to the bathroom to do his mother's bidding. Again, a proud smile crossed her delicate lips; her boy was always so angelic…just the way he was supposed to be. In this place, prejudice, hatred and unkindness was not an option; for this was the place of freedom, happiness, forgiveness and prosperity. Though Keiji looked so different from his friends – the big black wings, the bright golden eyes, the claws on his fingers, and the ever so slight blue tone to his pale skin – he was accepted as yet another member of the loving crowd they existed in.

In many ways, he had the perfect aspects of both his parents; his mother's kind, gentle heart, her compassion, her patience, her calm maturity; and he had his father's spirit, his strength, his will to win, and most definitely his stubborn streak. The result was a kind little boy who strived to stay that kind little boy, no matter what. He was most definitely an angel.

Though at times, she had to admit, he was more like his father than she would have liked.

***

_This place was hot, humid and dark. Everything was cast with a red light. But somehow, it wasn't what she expected. She had been told of fire, fire, fire everywhere; solid fire, liquid fire, and choking, gaseous fire. But she found none. Instead, it was a dark, ruined city, with crime and hatred littering the streets everywhere she looked. The old buildings were bathed in the angry crimson glow of a dying sun, hanging low in the sky.  She was so out of place._

_But she knew what she was looking for; she knew why she was here._

_Further on, after travelling down the broken concrete path, she saw something more along the lines of what she knew to look for.. Below her was a pit; before it, two gates. Flowing in through the gates were great numbers of people, all lining up to gain entry. She knew they were the 'evil' types coming into this place. But she wasn't frightened. Even though she was on the wrong side of 'The Boundary'._

_Further on, she came across the building she knew she was searching for. It was old, run down and it was still cast in the red light the beaten down sun cast though the heavy, dark clouds above them. The huge, hideous demons sitting on the sidewalk beside the building made crude jokes about her as she passed by, but she completely ignored them. She knew who she was here to see._

_Deep within the building, she found the place. The door of the apartment set-up – the one with the right number. She honestly couldn't remember how she'd gotten hold of the number, but it was the right apartment. Down the end of the hall, the red sun cast its eerie glow upon the shredded carpet; it stayed low in the sky every day of the year, never rising or setting. This was an unnatural place._

_She pushed the door open, and stepped inside. There was nothing but darkness. Despite that, the heavy, sleepy heat from outside had lifted…the room inside was cool and dry; immensely comfortable after coming from out there. The door was pressed shut silently by her pale, delicate hand. Then she stood silent. After a few seconds, the sounds of soft snores met her ears; he was asleep._

_Somehow, she managed to blunder through the dark without crashing into anything, until she found the iron post of the end of a bed. After finding that, she felt her way upward, until she found the head of the bed…and the one lying on top of it. _

_Slowly, her small hand reached out, and she found his cheek. Yes, it was him. The hair all over her body stood on end, and she bit her lower lip. Her hand began to trail over his nose, his lips, down his jaw line, and to his powerful, muscular chest. It was at that point that the rhythmic sound of breathing was broken, and she felt him sit up beneath her hand._

_A much larger hand grabbed her wrist, firmly at first, but after a moment his grasp eased. "What are you doing here?" The deep, masculine voice wasn't its normal smooth, strong self, since he was groggy from just waking up. Somehow, it seemed absolutely gorgeous to her ears, though his sudden awakening scared the life out of her, and filled her with nervousness she hadn't felt previously._

_"I had to see you…" She didn't sound so sure of herself, or, at least, as sure of herself as she would have liked._

_He lifted his hand, and shifted beneath the covers. "I thought we were enemies." He said it in such a way that she couldn't help feeling guilty. Yes, of course, she'd said many a time that they were opposites, opposition, and enemies. She, in her blind arrogance – so typical of her kind – had dismissed him completely in the past…and suddenly, after the two of them had lost their careers, she'd felt the loneliness. She knew she missed him._

_And he couldn't understand why someone like her would cross through into his territory; it was dangerous for her kind to be here. So why was she being so stupid? She'd always been so irritating while they were forced, sworn enemies, to work together; it had been the only, only time that such a situation had arisen. Her ultimate perfection; her looks, her body, her mind, her soul…everything about her was sickeningly perfect…just like the rest of her kind. And she knew it, so it seemed to him, and she displayed an incredible arrogance toward his kind in the past – so why change now? Despite all of this, he'd always found life to be a little boring when he couldn't argue with her. Not only that, but the thing that annoyed him most about her, was the fact that she could be classed, in his opinion, a 'First-Class Prude'. _

_She stammered as she tried to find the words. "I…I know, I…well…" She took a deep breath, and slowly let it out, letting her nerves settle. "I'm so sorry…I was foolish in the past – arrogant and stupid. I've come to realise that my arrogance was absolutely pointless…there was no need for it. I should have been more open-minded. I'm so sorry…"_

_That caught him by surprise. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he spoke again – that delightful, deep rumble of a voice filled the crisp air of the room once again. "So you came here in the middle of the night to tell me this?"_

_She shook her head, though he couldn't see. She didn't know what to say, though she knew she had to say something. "I…I…" She cut herself off with a soft sigh. For once, he wasn't shouting her down for being 'an obstinate, stuck-up bitch'…and she loved it. Every second in his presence was electrifying her more and more, to the point she could no longer take it. Her hands found the back of his neck, and once they had, she knelt on the bed, straddling his long, muscular legs, and kissed him deeply._

_With the sudden intrusion of a foreign tongue into his mouth, he gasped; his entire body was struck with a shiver of intense cold. His skin prickled as if he had walked through a field of static electricity. When she didn't move away, he could only moan, and allow her room to do more. This wasn't the Mitsukai he knew a few years ago. Her fingers threaded through his thick black mass of hair, slowly pushing him down, against the pillow, pinning him to the bed. She shifted up and sat on his stomach, relentless in her embrace. Somehow, though, she had been so intensely gentle in her attack; her grace was very quickly overwhelming his senses, and in no time at all, he moaned again, and grasped her soft, warm hips in his large hands. _

_Finally she broke the kiss, and looked down at the solid blackness before her. She could hear his quickened breathing beneath her, feel his chest rising and falling at the same rhythm, feel his heartbeat racing as she placed a hand on his chest again. _

_"Mitsukai…" Her name, whispered so softly, so sensuously against the flesh of her neck, forced a whimper of delight from her throat. His hands were already roaming over her body; she could tell he was being careful, since he wasn't pushing and pulling her about, and his grasp wasn't nearly firm enough to hurt her. He knew all too well the gentle, kind, loving nature of her people._

_She slid her body downward, making as much contact with his as she could, until she felt him below, between her clothed legs. Her sudden, unexpected embrace had quickly excited him. She sat up again, sitting across his thighs. He obviously didn't want her to move, because his hands stayed in contact with her for as long as he could reach. Just as he might have thought she was going to leave him, one small, warm hand grasped him below, wrenching a long, deep, restrained moan from him, forcing him to arch his back in delight. Slowly, she began to stroke him, her free hand trailing further down to play with what she found. Deep in her mind, she was screaming with excitement already; he was so much better equipped than she had ever imagined – and of late, her mind had been thinking about him more and more, and in more and more detail._

_As a slow, steady rhythm was established with her hand, one of his hands reached down, and found her ankle. When she felt his warm grasp, she extended her leg along his side, allowing him to quell his growing curiosity as to the new terrain previously offered to him. Immediately, his hand roamed up, gently stroking the soft skin he found. His hand moved down, inside her trouser leg, then up…the sensation brought a shiver up and down her spine. Of course the hand wouldn't stay still, and very quickly, she found him stretching to try and reach further up her thigh. _

_For a moment she let go and stepped off the bed. Of course, he replied to such a manoeuvre with a loud groan of discontentment; but when he heard her clothes, one by one, hitting the floor, he stayed silent. A second after she'd disrobed, he felt her skin against his again; she was kneeling right above him. Without a second thought, one of his hands reached up to the small of her back to pull her down closer, the other reached out to cup a breast. She submitted to his wishes almost immediately, lowering herself within his comfortable reach. _

_The feeling of such soft, delicate, warm skin threw his mind into spinning circles. Without even thinking, he pulled her down with a little more strength, and captured a nipple between his lips. It took no time at all for his tongue to find it too, and with more affection than he'd have thought possible from someone like himself, he began to play with it, gently teasing her. The result was definitely something he enjoyed; a feminine moan of delight. Her hands found his hair again, and his reached out to hold her close; one on the small of her back, the other on a bared buttock. Against his hands, as she lowered herself again, he felt the distinctive brush of light feathers._

_After allowing him a small moment to play, she pulled away again. She brought herself downward so she could kiss him, this time, deeper and much more passionately than before. She found where she wanted to go; and as she lowered, she felt herself stretching almost painfully; he moaned long, ragged and breathless into her mouth as she did so. Yes he was indeed well endowed; so well, that she doubted that he would fit properly. But she endured the pain, and forced herself down until she felt completely and utterly full, and she felt his hips beneath her. It was clear he was in great pleasure; his fast-paced, ragged breathing, along with constant, almost silent whimpers was a dead giveaway. _

_She allowed herself a moment to adjust to his size, then slowly, surely, drew herself back a little way, before lowering herself again. It felt absolutely mind-blowing, the feeling of him so deep inside her…and she could tell, once again, that he was enjoying it even more. Good; this would serve as the beginning of her apology for her past arrogance. It would also serve as a massive hint; she'd fallen in love with him, her exact opposite._

_Her mind blissfully wandered as she continued to pleasure the both of them with her simple movement back and forth. His hands, oddly gentle and smooth, played and fondled as she worked, which only aided in throwing her mind further from reality. She dreamed of a perfect world, without this segregation of peoples; a world where angelic arrogance was not an issue; a world where peace was truly peace, and not a hypocritical excuse for superiority._

_ Slowly but surely, the two of them became so worked up, so excited, that they couldn't stand it any more. She let him grab her and roll her onto her back, and thankfully, she spread her huge feathered wings out of the way before he thrust her down against the bed. Oddly, again, he was being exceptionally gentle for a man with his reputation. Perhaps he'd gained 'softness' from his previous job; she knew she'd gained wisdom from it to say the least. She moaned softly into his ear as he began moving within her. He was stronger and swifter in his thrusts, but it was something she wanted. Her arms found his neck again, and held him tight. Further down, her legs locked around his waist, not letting him go, but at the same time, letting him continue his movements. With occasional whimpers, her teeth bit and chewed lightly at his earlobe – she could tell, somehow, that he loved it more than most people would._

_It all ended at once; they'd somehow perfectly timed it so both reached their peak at once; while he growled deeply into the curve of her neck, holding her almost painfully tight, she screamed damn near the top of her lungs, her fingernails digging into his back. _

_The two of then lay together, tight in each other's embrace, panting for breath. He was about to pull away and sit up, but she caught the back of his head with one hand, pulling him back down for a deep kiss. The other hand, as he relented, reached up to grasp one of the long, sharp horns that stuck out from either side of his head, holding him in place. He didn't mind; he still kissed her, one of his clawed hands reaching up again to play with one of her warm breasts. The claws still didn't scratch her; it seemed he was still being careful not to mar her flawless, pristine skin. After a moment, the hand around his neck drifted upward, and found the long, pointed tip of one of his ears. She knew he loved it when she did that; perhaps it was because his previous job – he had been created to 'possess' a human being on Earth – had grown on him; Kazuya had loved it as much as he did._

_Eventually he pulled away, and playfully flicked at the jewel hanging from her forehead. "Why did you do that, Mitsukai?" His voice bore no conceit, he had no tone of accusation; he was merely curious. _

_She chuckled softly, gently grasping the top of his hand. "Because I love you, Akuma."_

_There was a moment's silence…then he leaned down and nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck again. "Alright then…I love you too."_

_His hand closest to the side of the bed reached out and flicked a switch on the bedside table. The room was painfully illuminated with a bright light. It took a moment for the two of them to allow their eyes to adjust; after they'd done so, they both saw a sight they never thought they'd see again, since Kazuya's death. Beneath him was one of the most breath-taking angels ever created. Spread out beneath them were two massive, white-feathered wings…with a few feathers still floating about in the air, and lying on the pillow. Her long, golden hair was indeed slightly ruffled from the previous act, and her cheeks were tinted red from the exertion, but her face was still as perfect, as innocent, and as loving as ever. His heart melted._

_When she opened her eyes – since the light was no longer so blinding – she was startled, but only momentarily. Staring down at her in admiration were two intensely bright golden-hued eyes – not full of the 'hatred' she was used to, but more of a silent obsession. He looked so much like his previous host, the infamous Mishima, it wasn't funny. He had the same nose, the same mysterious, enchanting eyes, the same wild black hair, the same full, sometimes sad-looking lips. Compared to the other hideous, overweight, hairy demons that inhabited this side of the dimension – Hell – he was absolutely overwhelming, absolutely gorgeous. _

_She playfully ran a finger down his nose, and he smiled. "Akuma…will you forgive me for being such an obstinate, stuck-up bitch?" After re-using his very own words, she smiled coyly._

_Of course, he didn't need to think about that. He smiled more, leaned down, and kissed her tenderly. It was short-lived however, and he didn't give her time to react. "That answer your question?"_

_She giggled, and reached up to grab something – anything – as a handhold to pull him down. It ended up being the joint where one horned wing connected to his back, and she pulled him down, half on top of her, half beside her, and with her free hand, she killed the light. A moment later, she drew him close, and snuggled up against his chest. His masculine scent – along with the thrilling salty smell of his sweat – filled her nostrils, making her hold him even closer as she drifted off to sleep._

_Having never been in this position before, he didn't quite expect his instinct to be so sharp. One of his arms looped around her waist, the other behind her back, and he held her against his chest, letting the sweet sensation of her soft breathing against his chest lull him back to sleep._

_What an interesting night it had been._

***  
  
Once again she had remembered that night, six years ago, as she watched her son sleep peacefully. Yes, he would grow up to be a kind, gentle person like every other Angel there was in existence; but he would still possess his father's fighting skill, defiance, and will to win. After all, it had been that will to win that had won him Kazuya, and left Mitsukai stranded with nothing to do but try and fight, tooth and claw, for her right to be his Guardian Angel. After all, that had been her job. Both she and Akuma had been created for the sole purpose of protecting and watching over Kazuya. In Hell, the other side of the dimension they lived in, the method of having someone 'watched over' was to have a demon, namely a smart, powerful one, placed inside the person's soul. Akuma had been made a near perfect replica of the adult Mishima well before the boy's birth, and had been trained for the sole purpose of staying with him for the rest of his life. Angel, too, had been made with similar features, only with different colouring, and had been assigned to guard him for the rest of his life. The result; one hell of a clash of occupations.

Somehow, though, it had all been resolved well when Kazuya had died. He was thrown into a volcano when he was only twenty-eight years old, instantly killing him and releasing Mitsukai and Akuma from him, and returned them to their respective places on either side of the border. Kazuya, though he'd committed many a sin, was apparently eligible to not only enter on Angel's side of the Afterlife Dimension, but currently, ten years after his death, he was training to become an Angel himself. It had taken a while for him, apparently, to get to the point he was at currently; he was as stubborn and obstinate as a stuck pig, so they told her. But at least he was given a decent chance.

As she watched the young boy's soft breathing, the small chest rising and falling, she decided that yes, it would be a good idea for him to visit his father for the first time. He must've thought she'd abandoned him after she learned she'd fallen pregnant; she hadn't even told him! Yes, tomorrow, she and her son would venture across the border, and try and find the famed demon Akuma.

***

A/N again: Akuma = Devil, Mitsukai = Angel. There you are, if you hadn't guessed the pair by then, you doofus, there it is in plain English. Angel and Devil. The most bizarre thing I've done since Kaz/Lee yaoi!

Adventure to come, if people like this story…mwaha.


	2. The Boundary

A/N: Yay, update. I'm enjoying this story now, thanks for all your reviews!

Btw Tiger, just to clear up that thought…Devil and Jin are different characters. Jin is the product of a human mother and human father, only the father was possessed by a demon…i.e., Devil. You can test that theory out in Tekken tag Tournament. Play as Devil and Kazuya on the same tag team, then watch what happens when you tag. If anything, Kazuya and Devil are practically the same characters.

More coming soon.

***  
  


Today seemed to be just a little bit busier than before, and the foul-ups at reception weren't helping matters much at all.

Akuma stood on the ledge of the pit leading in from the massive iron gates behind the crowd, about to fall asleep from boredom. How could they have assigned him to such a pathetic job? He was created as one of the Elite – the equivalent of a guardian angel! And now, here he was, holding a long, pointed metal pole in one hand, dressed in the scruffiest clothes he had, 'guarding the gates of Hell'. It was one of the most demeaning jobs he'd ever had; he didn't _care if there was a shortage of demons about the place, he __hated having to stand guarding the line with the fattest, ugliest creeps around. _

The giant blue creature opposite was a fine example of exactly that. He had too many rolls of fat to count, starting from his several chins to the final roll which covered his crotch to the point he wouldn't need clothes necessarily. The oaf's head was indistinguishable from his shoulders, and the crooked horns on top of his head were almost the same size as the undersized wings sticking out of his back. And he was one hell of an ugly bastard without the weight problem, anyway. The worst part about it was that Akuma seemed to be the only one around with a decent physique and the ability to use his wings to actually _fly. After all, he was born and bred to be a fighter and an Elite; he was one of the most well-known demons around, since he was one of the best._

And here he was, on guard duty.

A slight disturbance in the crowd caught his attention. The people were starting to move forward faster, and it seemed someone was being trampled beneath them. Stupid humans. None of the other oafs seemed to notice, so he decided to act; the pole still in his hand, he swooped down and spread his wings, hovering above the crowd.

"Whoa there…" They ignored his command and kept on moving. He growled, and lowered himself a little further, hovering precariously just above the figure being pounded beneath the feet of the converging crowd.

"Stop…" Still they ignored him. 

Now, after being so closely associated with Kazuya of all people, he'd mastered the ability to get the attention of even the most stubborn asshole. He dropped directly down into the crowd, throwing the pole out from one side of the trench to the other, half knocking out everyone who was in harm's way. "I said, _Whoa!"_

This time, they all stopped dead and stared. After all, such a formidable creature was, well, formidable. Akuma's eyes were known for scaring the living daylights out of people. Few demons shared the same coloured eyes, and most didn't have the same intensity his did. With the black iron pole still held there, he dragged the trampled figure out of the dirt roughly, pulling it to its feet. It turned out to be a middle-aged housewife from a Western country, or at least, that's what he guessed by her appearance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, taking a nap?" The tone in his voice resembled a parent scolding a naughty child.

She was obviously terrified, and collapsed to the ground again, crying bitterly. Now why did this seem so familiar? Rolling his glowing golden eyes and sighing, he lifted her back to her feet again. "That's enough of that, it looks pathetic. Pull yourself together! What the hell is the problem?" He was losing his patience.

She sobbed and stared at the dirt path as she was wrenched to her feet again. His grip had hurt her, since she was now nursing a rising bruise on her upper arm. "I…I shouldn't be here…this is Hell…I shouldn't be here…not here…"

Again, this was nothing unfamiliar. He reached down and grabbed a small piece of paper sitting just out of her jeans pocket, and quickly read the scraggly handwriting scrawled across it. 

"Well, it says here that you should be."

Her bloodshot eyes stared up at him in shock and dismay. "What?! But I went to church every Sunday! I prayed every night…I…" She cut herself off when she ran out of excuses.

Akuma laughed cruelly. "Church? Who gives a damn? It means nothing here. Damn religious fanatic…" He looked over the paper again. "You have quite a list here, Ma'am. Shoplifting, use of illegal substances, refusing to pay _all_ your traffic fines, adultery on three counts with three different people…need I go on?" Indeed he could have if he bothered to read the rest. He folded the paper back up and jammed it back into her pocket. "Sorry, but I believe you'll be staying here for at least two terms…"

Again, she looked absolutely distraught. "But! But, but…"

He interrupted her once again. "Listen, I'm going to give you two choices…" By now, several demons above the pit were watching on in amusement; it always seemed to be the rich bitches that had the most trouble with adjusting to their temporary fates. "One: I let you move along now, and join the rest of the queue in front of you. Two: You stay right here blubbering, and I release this here impatient mob on you. But you'd better decide quickly, because my arm's getting sore." No wonder. He was still holding back several thousand people with the iron pole.

Sobbing, she hurried along the trench. Akuma performed his most courteous act today so far; he let her get ahead of the crowd and almost to the back of the mob in front of her before he released the group he was holding back…mainly because his pole managed to get stuck in the muddy side of the trench opposite and it took a little time and elbow grease to pull it back out. Damn humans.

With that out of the way, he flew back up again and stood, watching. There was an old clock that still worked on the Town Hall tower in the near distance; five more minutes to go before he was relieved of duty for the day. But luck was in his sights, since the demon to take his place had arrived early. He tossed the pole to the short, lanky red figure as he approached. The creature caught the pole, and stumbled pathetically beneath the weight…it only made Akuma laugh. 

"Tory, you're gonna have to build up some muscle, or the humans'll use you as a punching bag…" He snickered and walked off before he got a response.

***  
  
Though she was apprehensive, it seemed Keiji was ready and rearing to go. Mitsukai smiled softly at the boy, and ushered him out the door, locking it behind her as she followed him.

"When will we get there, Okaasan?" His energy levels were increasing rapidly, and this was _without him being on a sugar high._

"When we get there, sweet-heart."

He frowned. "But when is when we get there?"

She scooped him up into her arms, then balanced him on one hip. "I don't know dear, but it'll be a little while. It's a long way to fly."

As she took off into the air, the young boy's curious eyes darted about, watching the landscape as the treetops grew smaller and smaller. He was perfectly accustomed to this sort of air travel, and moved about quite comfortably against his mother, holding on artfully so she didn't have to concentrate on holding him.

"So Okaasan, what does my daddy look like again?" It had been about a half hour of peace and quiet before he started up again, but Mitsukai was eternally patient with him, and always answered his questions as best she could.

"I don't want to tell you yet, because I don't want to frighten you Keiji. I already told you, he's a demon."

"Oh, one of them other world peoples from the other side of The Boundary…I remember now…" He nodded thoughtfully as he watched the fields whiz past below.

"You could put it that way." She chuckled to herself. She was so glad that he'd listened to her rather than the others; she didn't want her son to take on the prejudice and arrogance most Angels had for Demons. There was no need for contempt and racism in the modern world. They couldn't help it that her kind took in the 'good' humans and Akuma's kind took in the 'evil' ones…they all had to go somewhere, after all.

Another twenty or so minutes, the land began to change. The forest dwindled, and up ahead, it became desert. They'd arrived at the barren wasteland on the very edge of The Boundary. The head rising from the surface was obnoxious, so Mitsukai increased her pace to get through it faster. Thankfully, it was only barely a kilometre to fly across before they came to The Boundary itself.

And the famed Boundary was nothing but a force field encompassing the planet directly down the middle. She landed lightly since by now Keiji was asleep, and walked straight through it. Really, it only felt like a rush of static electricity; but humans that had only just been assigned could not, by any means, cross it.

Once inside, she took off again and headed for the vast, half-ruined city in the distance. After she'd stepped through, she immediately noticed the change of atmosphere; instead of a bright, happy sun in the centre of the sky, dark clouds now covered a blood-red sky, letting only a glimpse of the dying red sun in every now and again. The heat and humidity was almost unbearable…how did the demons live in such conditions day after day?

It was another half-hour flight to the city, and by now, her wings were beginning to grow tired. When they arrived, she was mightily relieved, and by this time, Keiji was awake again…and a slight bit terrified of his surroundings. She put him down, and he clung to her arm with both hands as if he would never let go. The two pressed on within the city, passing by numerous streets reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic mega-city, with the remaining population left in relative poverty. And this was the boy's father's home.

Finally, the streets became familiar; she could see Akuma's home a few blocks away…but at this time of day, she doubted he'd be there. Instead, she led her son carefully through the streets until she found the Main Drag so to speak – a wide boulevard with poorly maintained tarmac, street shops all along both sides, and Demons and 'evil' humans alike commuting up and down in every direction.

They were starting to grow hungry, and Keiji was starting to get a little upset by the extreme change in environment, so Mitsukai picked him up and headed toward the most salubrious-looking restaurant she could find…which was clearly run by a group of demons with aspirations beyond poking humans with pitchforks.

She turned to head into the place, driven by the smell of food and the desire to get out of view of the fat old demons cracking crude angel jokes as she passed…and in her haste, she crashed headlong into a solid object. She and her son sprawled to the ground, as did what appeared to be a tall demon. She'd walked right into someone!

…and guess who that someone was?


	3. Family Ties

A/N: Changed the name of the story, in the brave hopes I'll be able to actually SEE it on the damn list ;

This chapter is rather brief and unimaginative, but it's just a plot continuation. Nothing special.

***

He was lucky not to get a mouthful of dirt from being knocked over like that. Akuma had been standing talking to someone, and hadn't been watching who was coming in off the street…next think he knew, someone had ploughed into him from behind. He managed to catch himself on his hands, instead of meeting the ground face-first. After a moment he rolled onto his backside and sat up, scowling at whomever it was what was so rude as to walk right into him.

When he saw who it was, however, the scowl disappeared very quickly.

Mitsukai slowly stood up, brushing off her soiled white garments...at that people, not bothering to see who she crashed into. Keiji ran behind her and hid beside her leg, only barely brave enough to peek out from behind. She petted his hair gently, then looked down to see who it was she knocked down, and readied herself for some abuse as a result.

It never came.

Her eyes widened when she saw the demon sitting on the ground…and scarily enough, recognised him. Keiji, clearly growing more and more frightened by the second, let out a sob and clung to his mother's leg even more as a few large, scary-looking creatures approached the pair…all of which ranged from a bright red to a deep blue in colour, and everything in between. None of them looked too happy.

"…Mitsukai?!" There was that deep, wonderful voice she'd grown to miss so much. She bit her lower lip and tried to hold back her tears…she couldn't cry in front of her two beloved little boys. After a moment she held a hand out to him, and he grasped it, allowing her to help pull him up…though he could have done so himself just as easily.

"Yes…long time no see…" She smiled softly at him and petted Keiji's hair again.

A few overweight, middle-aged, half-drunk demons behind Akuma made a few crude comments, and one asked blatantly if she was his 'hooker from heaven'. In response, he turned, scowling, and marched right up to the one that had angered him the most…the one that called Mitsukai a hooker. His slender, powerful fingers wrapped around the beast's fat neck, and effortlessly, he lifted him off the ground, slamming him against the nearby wall…and held him there.

"You'd better take that back, or I'll break your neck again." The fat bastard struggled and gagged.

"No, wait!" Mitsukai rushed over to the pair, and placed her tiny, delicate arms on Akuma's bicep…when she tugged on him, of course, it had no effect. "Don't hurt him! He didn't know any better!"

His brilliant golden eyes glanced down at her over his shoulder…the harsh look in them softened when he saw hers on the very verge of tears, silently begging for mercy. How could he resist a look like that?

The blob in his hand was going bluer than he already naturally was. Not only that, but the fat oozing over his hand felt really, really nasty. He dropped the creature back down into its seat. "Watch your tongue in the future, bakayarou, or I'll kill you so many times your pitiful brain won't be able to keep count!"

While all the action was taking place across the room, Keiji was left standing alone in a strange world. His bottom lip wobbled a little, but he held his breath momentarily to hold back the tears of fear. Like a good little boy, he stayed where he was put, and waited for his mom. He felt a presence behind him.

"Hey there lil' fella…" When Keiji looked to the side, he saw someone kneeling next to him. It was another demon, the same colour as the one his mom had rushed up to, but shorter and so thin his bones stuck out. His eyes were the same blue colour as his mom's too.

"Hello…" His little voice was quiet, nervous, and unsure of himself. 

The demon smiled. "It's okay, there's nothing to be scared of, little guy. No one's gonna hurt you or your mommy…"

Keiji didn't look convinced, but he forced a little smile anyhow. The demon offered a bony hand. "My name's Winslow. What's yours?" It seemed the small demon had figured out the boy's heritage.

"Keiji." Hesitantly, the boy took the man's hand in his own small, childish one.

Winslow shook it. "Pleased to meet you little guy."

Akuma had finally left the drunkards alone, and Mitsukai was clinging desperately to his arm with both of hers. Akuma glanced over to where the two of them had entered, and he saw the little boy who'd come with her, giggling shyly at the antics one of his guard partners was pulling…pulling his face out of shape, poking his tongue out…the usual. He looked back at Mitsukai, not sure what to make of the situation, his bright eyes asking his question silently.

She smiled up at him. "This is someone I wanted to introduce you to…" She held her hand out gracefully toward the boy, beckoning him to join them. Keiji smiled again at Winslow, then ran toward Akuma and Mitsukai, hugging his mother's leg happily.

"Keiji, this is your Otousan…" The boy looked up at Akuma, his eyes wide with curiosity. Akuma, at this point, was wide-eyed too…but in shock. He looked down at Mitsukai, trying to decipher whether it was a joke, or whether that one night…

She smiled, and nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Go on, at least say hi…" she whispered to him, then looked back down at Keiji.

Everyone in the background had stopped to watch the reunion. Most were astounded at the pairing – after all they were opposites – a few were scornful and impolite…then there were a few like Winslow who had no trouble accepting it. Akuma, trying to gather what remained of his nerves, knelt down before the boy, bringing himself to the same height. He looked over the child; whilst he had the same pale, flawless skin as his mother and the same kind shape in his eyes, he shared Akuma's brilliant golden tone. His ears were slightly pointed – since his father's ears were rather more pointed, to say the least. Though he had an angel's feathered wings standing tall behind him, they were raven – a more hellish colour. His nails were filed back, unlike Akuma's…which he kept long and sharp as a warning to any human that tried his patience. Other than that, with the consideration of his mother's colouring, Keiji was the spitting image of his father.

After a moment of horror at his father's terrifying appearance, Keiji realised that this man _had to be his father…it was obvious. He rushed forward and hugged Akuma tightly, nuzzling his little face against the man's chest. That startled Akuma, finally, into reacting; he picked the boy up, holding him close in both arms. Somehow, it just seemed __right for the boy to be his son…as shocking as the revelation still was in his mind._

"So that's why you never returned…" She nodded to his statement, and kissed his upper arm lightly. She could see everyone still staring, and at this point she learned the truth. _They're just like us. They're all like us. Angels and Demons…the only difference is colour. The looks on their faces made it more than obvious; several lilac-toned women standing around the bar started to clap…one of them sniffled. The many more men joined in too…a few whistles could be heard amongst the applause. After all, in a place like this, what's a little romance to lift the clouds from the heavy, dying sky of gloom?_

Keiji climbed up and rested his chin of Akuma's shoulder, his small, rounded arms hugging him around the neck. "I always wanted to meet you, Otousan…" He giggled, and glanced over at his mother when she looked at him, grinning.

Akuma raised a brow. "Really? Are you disappointed with what you found?"

The boy stopped to think a moment. He wasn't expecting to see someone so terrifying, and so…big. He didn't think demons looked so scary. But then again, compared to everyone else around here, his dad looked cool. "Nope…cuz you're a cool dad."

***  
  
The couch had been cleared off, and a couple of sheets had been laid down on top of it, along with a blanket and two pillows. That was good enough as far as a makeshift bed went for a five-year-old.

Mitsukai was sitting on Akuma's bed playing with Keiji while Akuma tidied up somewhere for the boy to sleep. "How long are you two staying again?" He'd adjusted to the idea of having a son after the last few hours, and he didn't think that a place like this was a good place for two angels to be living…even if one of them was part demon. 

"Just tonight, maybe the next too. After that we'll head home." She paused, and pulled Keiji onto her lap…since he was in the middle of a chibi-ish giggle-fit, that wasn't too hard…though he did a lot of wiggling. "I hope this isn't too much trouble."  
  
He smiled, and joined them on the bed. "No, it's not. Besides, I can't let you find somewhere else to stay the night. Demons are fine and safe…but it's the humans down here I'm concerned about." He carefully ran a hand through Keiji's thick black hair. His hand felt weird, since Mitsukai had practically ordered him to trim back his nails…which weren't really claws any more. The boy giggled more and grabbed his hand. Akuma couldn't help but smile softly. What had been a stressful few months lately seemed to disappear with this bouncy, happy, rejuvenating presence of youth. 

Mitsukai smiled and hugged his arm again. "You're so sweet…"

He smirked and shook her off gently. "Rubbish." There goes his tough image. Damnit, how did Kazuya make it look so easy to stay cool and collected in this sort of situation?

She giggled, then hugged Keiji. "As for you, young man…bed time!"

Keiji pouted, but hopped off to head for the couch on the other side of the room…but not before stopping to hug the nearest attachment that belonged to his father – which happened to be his tail. "G'night Daddy!" 

Akuma smiled. "Goodnight." That somehow felt…weird.

***

It had been an hour or so before they tucked Keiji into bed, and by now he was fast asleep. They'd ceased their whispering, since he was now out cold…and were talking in hushed tones.

"I still can't believe you brought him here. It's dangerous." Akuma's mood had changed completely from the calm façade he'd shown the boy. 

"I know, but I wanted you to meet him…" Since he was lying on the bed on his side, facing her, the side of her face was resting comfortably against his powerful chest as they talked. 

"But still, this isn't a good place for two angels to be hanging around in. Mitsukai…you put him in danger…"

Since when had he ever cared about danger? He'd only told her things she already knew. "Then what was I supposed to do, hm? Let him grow up without ever knowing his father?"

He sighed and rolled onto his back…only to find himself lying against the wall. Damn single bed. "You could have told me to come and meet you…I don't know, on The Boundary, or even where you live…"

She cut him off. "Well that would work…except in Heaven they're not very tolerant of your people. You would have probably been sent right back home!" She frowned, pouted, and snuggled back up against his chest, pulling the thin covers further up toward her chin. 

Didn't she know how much he couldn't resist that? He sighed again, immediately losing the argument…he couldn't think of a response with her nuzzling his chest like that. A heavy, muscular arm draped over her waist beneath the covers, and he leaned against her again, exhausted. 

She hugged him around the shoulders, and kissed the centre of his scarred chest. "I'm sorry to stress you out like that."

He hummed softly deep in his throat, already given up the fight for once. He had to admit, he was beginning to like the idea of being a father. Though her act was dangerous, he appreciated it.

After a moment, Mitsukai sat up slightly to glance at Keiji…then fell back again. "He's asleep…"

Akuma raised a brow, then looked over at the boy too. "So he is…" At that point, he didn't see the relevance, and returned to trying to doze off. After a moment, he felt her squirming around next to him. When he glanced down, he realised she'd pulled her shirt off…which left her wearing nothing but her underwear. 

"So…he won't hear us…" Somehow, even though she was smirking deviously at him, she still looked innocent and angelic. When he seemed to take his time reacting, she sighed and pulled at his shorts…a moment later, pulling them off. 

"No, he won't, will he?" He returned the smirk, and helped her with her clothes.


	4. Familiar Faces

A/N: Yeah, long time since I bothered updating this one. This is a long chappie, and based slightly in the future. And, predictably, the return of a familiar character ^__^;;

Also, I changed the rating. Honestly, after re-reading the first chapter, the ONLY one with anything dodgy in it, I don't think it deserves an R rating. I mean heck…_I shouldn't be reading it if it has an R rating! So I've knocked it back to a PG13. _

Enjoy, people…  
  
***

Boring, boring, boring.

The lines of lettering scrawled across the page in Times font formed monotonous, over-perfect paragraphs before Keiji's eyes, and slowly but surely, the bright amber orbs began to fall closed. After a moment, his forehead hit his homework with a light thud, and soft snores filled the orange-hued room.

A brightly-coloured bird landed on a branch outside his bedroom window, singing a cheerful twilight tune as the sun crawled languidly over the hills in the distance, venturing toward night. Its high-pitched call continued for a while before the young boy's eyes opened again as the noise awoke him from his short nap. A warm, floral gust of wind whipped through the open window at the head of his desk, ruffling some of the dark feathers on his drooping wings – the breeze brought a last burst of energy to his worn, bored mind, and he picked up his pen again, and began to write on the pad of lined paper beneath his small right hand.

One thing he always hated about the fourth grade was the focus on Heaven's history. Sure, Earth was a lot of fun – they had wars and disasters and exciting stuff – but here in Heaven, everything was a drag. Monotony, peace, harmony and non-judgemental frames of mind were all that existed. The Demon within him longed for something more exciting. Ever since he'd met his father four years ago, he'd been fascinated by what was on the other side of The Boundary.

A moment after he finally finished answering all the questions required of him, he heard a familiar, sweet voice calling to him from the other end of the house. Following it was the delicious smell of a freshly cooked meal. Smiling and almost bursting with relief from the torture of history homework, Keiji leaped up off his seat and bounded down to the kitchen.

He sat down in his seat at one end of the wooden table, politely awaiting his meal. His mother, beautiful as ever, gracefully placed down several dishes of food, each of which were previously balanced perfectly upon her creamy, slender arms. Barely able to wait for her to sit down herself, he thanked her warmly for yet another delicious dinner, and reached across to get himself some of the noodles sitting on a plate, and following that, a generous serving of the stir-fry. He also grabbed a small plate of sashimi that Mitsukai had prepared for him, and dug straight into it with plenty of soy and wasabi. He had no idea why he liked it so much, since his mother wasn't so much a fan. Maybe his father liked it too.

The meal was a reasonably silent one that evening, but Mitsukai could tell that he was enjoying his food. Often, they didn't need to talk to share their affection for each other, they only needed to smile. As they both finished their meals, Mitsukai tidied up the plates, and Keiji bounced up to carry the cutlery into the kitchen for her. He'd always loved helping his mom, and though part of his nine-year-old mind was telling him that helping parents was dorky, he refused to acknowledge it. 

As everything was cleared away, Keiji was about to head back to his room. Before he did, he found a bowl of ice cream being wafted under his nose…he stopped dead, and turned around, smiling excitedly at his mother.

"Would you like some, Keiji?" That soft, purring voice got him even more excited about the idea.

"Yes, I'd love some! Domo arigatou, Okaasan!"

She placed the bowl in the boy's hands, and he raced off to his room happily with his treat, after of course, giving her a kiss on the cheek. As he disappeared, Mitsukai sat down on a chair and watched as the sun finally disappeared over the distant hills, leaving a trail of tiny stars upon a stark ultramarine sky. Her life was so comfortable at the moment – she hadn't been needed to work for the last decade or so, and had been able to fully dedicate her time to her only son. But as of late, since he'd been more and more heavily involved in school, she found herself becoming rather bored. She longed to be back at work on Earth again, or at least doing errands around the Gates…anything.

***  
  
It had finally gotten to him. He had finally allowed his curiosity and urge for excitement get to him to the point he could take it no more.

Quickly, he threw a few things into his bag – clothes, today's uneaten lunch, a pencil case – and wrote a hasty note. He left the note on his bed, and climbed silently out the window into the darkness.

To avoid attracting attention, he walked before the house eventually disappeared from sight. His dark pants, black wings, raven hair and deep blue t-shirt helped him to blend into the darkness of the forest. No dangers existed here – it was perfectly alright for him to venture out fearlessly. Animals, after all, never attacked angels. If there were any danger, it would be from the humans, who always seemed to be unpredictable. Yet, he knew that most of them around here were just as harmless. The 'good' ones were sent here after all.

When he was a good few miles away from home, he finally took to the air, leaving behind him a small number of black feathers drifting down to the lightless ground below. The silver moonlight shone upon his small body, but he still didn't stand out particularly much, since the forest around here wasn't heavily populated by any means. His dark wings carried him along on the warm evening breeze – nowhere near as fast as his mother could have flown, but it was a decent speed for a mere child.

Below him, the forest canopy grew a little thinner, and he saw a beaten path winding its way south beneath the moonlight. It had been some time since he'd taken off and his little wings were beginning to feel fatigued. Silently, he swooped down to the forest floor and landed, folding his raven wings behind him. Again, he continued on his journey south. 

The small, bare feet made almost no sound on the dirt track – the only sound was that of an owl's intermittent hoot, and the merry chirping of summer crickets and cicadas. He knew the boundary was a way away yet; probably another hour's flying and half an hour's walking at his young pace. 

After a quarter of an hour more, he felt a chill. Somehow, he felt as if someone was watching him. As if someone was following him. With his nerves being slightly rattled, he continued on, his senses reaching a peak, staying aware of any danger the young paranoid mind they were controlled by may conceive. He slowed his pace, watching every single shadow that was cast upon the ground before him – none of them moved. Just when he finally thought that perhaps he was safe, he heard a rustle behind him.

Reaching a state of panic, he whipped around. Before him stood a tall figure; much of it was obscured by giant wings, and since the moon was shining brightly behind whoever it was, he could see nothing but a silhouette. What he saw was definitely male, and the silhouette of the man's hair was sickeningly familiar…it resembled his own frighteningly.

"Keiji, what are you doing here?" The deep, masculine voice sounded even more familiar, and along with that, it didn't sound too impressed.

The boy stepped closer. He knew it was his father; no one else had hair like that, or a voice like that. But what was his dad doing on this side of the Boundary?

The man crouched down in front of him as he approached. With the moonlight no longer obscuring his vision, Keiji saw who it was. Shocked, he stumbled back. His voice became lost in the fear that had suddenly developed in his chest, and he held his breath and tears back.

The being looked so much like his father it wasn't funny – only, his skin was most definitely a medium olive tan, rather than that strong purple he'd come to long for so much. The hair was the same, only slightly less wild, and the eyes and eyebrows were identical – except that, instead of the bright gold he'd inherited from his father, they were a deep ebony. This man was a perfect replica of his father – only, he was an angel.

Again, he heard that deep voice. "It's alright, don't be frightened." This time, however, the voice was more passive, almost soothing. Such a deep voice almost seemed beautiful; it suited the black and silver of the night.

His breath hitched softly as he tried to find his voice. Eventually, it came. "You look just like my Otousan…"

The angel formed upon his lips what might have been a vague smile. He held out a large but slender hand. "There's a reason behind that." He grasped Keiji's hand as it was offered, and pulled the boy back to his feet. "How about I tell you on the way home – you're mother's worried sick about you."

He pulled his hand back and shook his head. "No, I don't want to go home yet…I want to see my father!"

Patiently, the angel continued. "You would rather venture into a realm of danger than return home to warm arms?"

Keiji shook his head. "I love my Okaasan, but I miss my Otousan…I want to see him again. I don't want to go home till I see him again!" He drew a deep breath, and let it out as he turned his face away. "I miss him."

This disobedience and loyalty to a parent he never knew had obviously struck the enigmatic angel as quite unusual, and it seemed to ruin whatever plan he had. Something struck Keiji as odd as the two stayed in silence.

"Hey…how did you know I went out anyway?"

The angel's dark eyes locked on Keiji's. "When your mother went into your room to check on you, all she found was your little note. She immediately knew you were going to find your father – and she was well aware of how dangerous it is over there. She was worried to say the very least…she found me and asked me to try and find you."

He frowned slightly. "But I don't even know you."

"But I know your mother and father very, very well. In fact, even better than you know the both of them put together." He looked down at the dirt path a moment, then sat down in the middle of it, resting his elbows across his knees. All he wore was a pair of white Gi trousers and a black belt with a gold strip down both sides of it – the rest of him was bare. Keiji couldn't help but notice that he had the _exact same scar as his father had across the middle of his chest._

"They worked with me in the distant past, you might say. Well over ten years ago. I've known them since I was very, very young. So though I may have never met you in the past, I knew of your existence, and I was the first one your mother turned to in this little event." Keiji's curiosity began to egg him on again. "I also know your father a lot more than your mother, and I can safely say he's not going to be impressed with you suddenly appearing like this. He has a tendency to be rather over-protective of things he holds of great importance."

Keiji whined, though he hadn't intended to. "But I wanna…"

The angel cut him off again. "I _know_ you miss him and want to see him again, but you could have picked a more appropriate time! Your mother is very worried about you."

It was more or less the harsh tone in the deep, powerful voice that stopped him from complaining further. Like his father, this man had an ornate ability to make others listen to him, and he seemed to use it very well so far. Keiji sighed, and looked down at the ground. "But what if you took me to see him? You're big and strong and stuff…'sides, you can take me back home when we're done anyway, and nothing will go wrong…"

Yes, the boy had definitely inherited that Mishima ability to negotiate, even at this young age. He smiled. "Alright, Keiji. I'll take you to see him…but we come back tonight, so your mother doesn't have a hernia…" He stood and brushed off his Gi pants, and Keiji's wings fluttered a little behind him in excitement. He could barely wipe the grin off his face. Since it was late and Keiji was most definitely growing tired, the angel held out his arms to pick him up and carry him the rest of the way. 

The massive, truly massive white wings opened up behind the angel and Keiji hopped up into his arms. "What's your name, by the way?" Keiji asked as the angel took to the sky with an odd power the boy had never experienced when flying with someone else in the past.

Keiji clung on tightly as they both climbed high into the cooling night air, and awaited his answer. Finally it came after a few seconds. "Kazuya Mishima." 

He thought for a moment, and held onto the man's bare shoulder. He could feel the hard, dangerously powerful muscle beneath the warm skin, and the smell that eventually met his nose was so familiar – he'd noticed the same smell on his father when he'd hugged him so frequently when they last met. It wasn't unpleasant in any way, it was just distinctive. His mother would have called it 'masculine'…whatever that meant. And that name – Kazuya – it sounded familiar too. Maybe his mother had mentioned it in the past a few times.

"Are you ready for a fast trip, Keiji?"

Kazuya's gaze was met with those unnervingly bright eyes. "Yeah. My Okaasan flies fast usually." He began to wonder though – Kazuya's wings were so very much larger than his mother's. They could probably make him go a hell of a lot faster, and a lot further. And he needn't even _think_ of the muscle he could feel against his clammy little hands. He began to get a little nervous.

This man was obviously not someone who would take things slowly; indeed, he said 'fast' ride for a reason. Keiji found himself clinging to him for grim death as he took off south again. The air was rushing by so fast it was almost frightening, and he could barely hold on. Thankfully, he had strong arms holding him in place for the suddenly much shorter journey to Hell.

***  
  


"Get back down, you fucking bastard, before I break your neck and send you back to the beginning of the damn line!"

Akuma, with the help of another demon, was making an effort to restrain one particularly rowdy and disgruntled new addition to the swelling numbers of humans in Hell. It was becoming particularly crowded in the central city by how, and a new, modern city was being built closer to The Boundary, for those that had proven themselves to have 'good' within them and had been here for some time.

"Get your hands off me, you revolting piece of shit!" This particular human – fat, hairy, and a definite criminal – was not impressed with being told what to do. That's why the jail system had found him too difficult to handle, and his death penalty had come as a relief to even his fellow inmates. 

Akuma, losing his patience, wrenched the man's arm back behind him, and promptly dislocated his shoulder with a sharp, sickening crack. His pointed ears were particularly sensitive to the shrill cry that followed, and almost lost his grip on the struggling human as he winced in pain.

"That's enough of that!" He forced the agonised human to the ground, who could do nothing but submit to the superior strength and power. Once he'd stopped struggling, Akuma leaned down and talked in the man's ear, still not letting go. "Oh, and don't worry about your arm. It'll heal in good time, since you're _dead. But I warn you," he smirked almost sadistically as he added, "If you struggle again, I'll dislocate your other arm…then I'll break your legs, one after the other…and if you still resist, then I'll break your neck and drag you along by your ears."_

The hardened criminal shot a few more insults at the frustrated demon…only to have Akuma's clawed foot press painfully against the wounded shoulder, reducing the utterances to incoherent screams of absolute agony. The other demon had returned to his post, since it was clear that Akuma was handling the situation beautifully. After letting the man suffer for a few more seconds, e dragged him to his feet by his good arm, and wrenched him harshly toward the head of the line – intending to have him registered and placed within a little faster than the others…who had seen the ordeal, and had piped down in the queue.

A few minutes later, after having delivered the criminal to the care of his colleagues, Akuma sighed and sat down on a rock a little way away from the workplace. After all, he hadn't been on duty at the time, he was actually called to assist when the man and a few of his buddies broke free and tried to wreak a little havoc on their new home. He'd been passing by out of boredom, and didn't intend to join in, since he'd been working non-stop all day and was exhausted.

He sat, watching the line inch forwards slowly. Since nothing was happening much, what happened next was completely unexpected. A shrill cry caught his ear…and in the next second, something hit him in the stomach and knocked him backwards.

When he looked down, he saw none other than _his son_ clinging to his midriff, grinning at him excitedly. He'd grown a lot over the last four years, it was easy to tell; awestruck, Akuma reached down, pulled the boy up, and hugged him possessively. After a moment, however, he felt compelled to ask the question:

"Keiji…what the hell are you doing here?"

He got nothing but a muffled, incoherent mumble in reply, and felt the boy's arms tighten around his neck. He looked up to see where he'd come from…and saw someone standing there he thought – and hoped – he'd never see again.


	5. Likeness

A/N: Yay, an update. This is short and sweet…cuz I was bored and had nothing better to do.

***

Kazuya smirked just slightly as he watched the reunion, standing well out of the way of the two. After all, he only wished to allow them an hour or two before he returned toe boy to his mother. He also didn't want to have to put up with Akuma for too long, since he knew it wouldn't be long before he found himself in an argument with his former companion. The both of them were always too headstrong and stubborn to be well matched.

Keiji had felt his father tense, and looked over his shoulder at Kazuya inquisitively. Akuma, on the other hand, merely sat on his rock in silence, waiting for an explanation. He had never expected to see the likes of that Mishima again; he wasn't sure whether to like it or hate it. After all, as the boy had grown, it had become increasingly difficult to maintain control over him, or to even get a word in eventually. Mitsukai had made his job even more difficult than it needed to be in the past as well.

Eventually Kazuya slowly made his way toward the pair, folded his arms casually over his well-built chest, and even smiled a little. "Need I say you have a visitor, Old Friend?"

Akuma's eyes narrowed slightly. Of all the things that could have happened, he considered Kazuya meddling with his personal affairs, particularly his family – which he had never expected, wished for, or even imagined having – since he knew how cold Kazuya was outwardly and how fiery he was within. To say the least, the both of them were equally as dangerous and unpredictable.

Since he got little reaction, Kazuya continued. "Don't worry, Mitsukai sent me to follow him."

Akuma felt this bizarre urge to strangle him, hug him, scream in anger, and sigh in relief all at once. How did he know about them? How did he know about the boy? Why was he helping them? Did he have any ulterior motives? "And just how did you know about Keiji in the first place?" Akuma's voice was laced with suspicious venom.

The Mishima's obsidian eyes rolled as he sighed and smirked. "I've known about the two of you since…there were three of you, to tell the truth." By now Keiji had turned around on his father's lap, facing Kazuya, and was toying with Akuma's long nails playfully. "Mitsukai and I formed somewhat of a friendship after my death. Unlike you, she didn't leave me stranded in a bizarre world with nowhere to go."

Sensing that this may develop into an argument, Akuma tried to bite his tongue as best he could. One thing he never learned from Kazuya was when to keep his big mouth shut. "Well, since you were sent to the land of bows and ribbons and candy and clouds and fluff and…"

Kazuya cut him off before he could list every fluffy attribute of a world he didn't particularly like. "Yeah yeah, I know I know…" Keiji couldn't help but giggle. Grown-ups weren't meant to have silly little fights like this. "But at any rate, you don't have to be so over-protective, you know. I'm on your side, as if you'd forgotten. It was a fine line as to where to send me, remember? I was almost sent to be your flat-mate for the next two-hundred years."

Akuma had relaxed slightly. He had an innate sense that Kazuya wasn't out to cause trouble. He'd grown out of that years ago, how could he forget?! He smirked. "Alright then, don't pop a vein in your forehead." He looked down at his son, and tickled his ribs lightly…resulting in a high-pitched giggle from the boy, followed by a _lot_ of squirming. "I suppose his mother will want him back home tonight, or she'll hang my head on her wall."

Kazuya shrugged. "Might as well entertain him for a while before he goes back. He did make quite an effort to come here, after all."

Keiji crawled onto Akuma's back and hung himself between the large, mauve wings. Akuma stood up carefully, so as not to drop the boy. Kazuya smirked as he watched them…oh how he wished he had have lived to have a son or daughter with his beloved Jun. It looked like so much fun…oh well, as Mitsukai had mentioned one day, he was almost literally Keiji's uncle, since Akuma and he were basically twins from different species. It was close enough. "I'll leave the two of you alone for a couple of hours if you wish. I'll manage to entertain myself for a while."

A loud, short laugh escaped Akuma's throat. "And just how do you plan to fit in around here, angel-boy?"

Kazuya simply smirked. "Since when have I ever fitted in, Batman?"

Though the reference to cheesy American superheroes bordered on the edge of annoying Akuma, he couldn't help but chuckle. Ah, how he'd forgotten how much fun Kazuya could be at times. Of all the people that ever existed, Akuma knew Kazuya the most. He knew his every secret, his every hatred, his every desire, his every thought. The opposite was the same too. "Alright then. I'll meet you back here in two hours then…I'll look after this little monster till then…" With that, he reached over, grabbed Keiji by the back of his collar, and swung him over his shoulder, catching him a little more carefully than most would have expected. The boy squealed with laughter and clung to his muscular father as he walked off towards his home.

Kazuya didn't need to answer, and merely headed off in the opposite direction towards the centre of the old city…he'd always been curious as to what scared most humans, particularly religiously inclined types, to be so outrageously afraid of this place. 


	6. Homecoming

After at least an hour of strolling around in the massive city, Kazuya couldn't see what was so traumatising about it. Sure, many of the building were old and decrepit, but there was nothing terrifying here. It was an ancient city, after all – thousands of years old – and it was the main centre of administration into this half of the planet.

He'd caught some interesting looks whilst walking up the main boulevard. The cobblestone path beneath his feet was surprisingly cool, considering the scorching heat in the thick air…a pleasant relief to say the least…as he made his way up the street, it was mostly the demons that gave him passing looks of curiosity…he paid them no mind.

Finally, spotting an interesting-looking outdoor café, he decided to sit down and have a drink rather than walk around aimlessly for the rest of the day. He sat down in an empty chair at the front of the café, and picked up the menu. One of the women on duty, a voluptuous middle-aged demon with rather brilliantly toned red skin, approached him after a few moments, and smiled down at him. 

"Is it just me, or have you been here before?"

He glanced up, covering his momentary shock at her blazing blue eyes. "To tell you the truth, this is the first time I've ever been on this side of the planet…"

She grinned. "May I ask what you're doing over this side of town?"

Shrugging, he placed the menu down casually on the table, and smiled. "Babysitting, mostly…"

Odd. She arched a thin, deep crimson brow. "Oh really?"

Idle chitchat…not something Kazuya was particularly accustomed to, or good at for that matter. "Do you know Akuma?"

Of course she did…she nodded, and smirked. "That sexy bastard…yes, I do…" She looked him over, admiring the powerful chest…and the great mass of white feathers behind him. "That's why you look familiar…you're the spitting image of him!"

Now he was getting somewhere. "Well, that's because when I was alive, Akuma was assigned to me as a guardian."

She grinned even more, displaying a set of rather sharp-looking fangs. "Well! No wonder you're not a snooty bitch towards us…you must be Kazuya Mishima, no?"

Nodding once, he shifted in his chair slightly. It seemed she was making an obvious effort to show him her legs and chest more and more…it was making him rather uncomfortable. "Indeed I am…"

She of course sensed this, and figured he wasn't the kind of man to grab a good screw whenever and wherever he could. Regaining her composure, she pulled out her writing pad and pen. "Well, Mr Mishima…can I get you anything?"

The heat was starting to get a little uncomfortable, even for him. Drink would be good. Very good. "Iced coffee would be great…"

She smirked, and jotted it down. "Certainly…a cold drink is just the medicine in this heat…" After doing so, she wandered off to the kitchen, swaying her large buttocks as much as she could on the way. Kazuya just sighed and shook his head.

***  
  
Rather than going home, it seemed Akuma and Keiji were quite happy to wander around town…with Keiji perched on his father's shoulders, using his horns as handholds.

"Are you sure your mother isn't going to kill me for this, Keiji?" Akuma's mood had substantially lightened since he'd been assigned to temporarily watch over this bundle of energy. He was so different to Kazuya as a child – so happy. 

Keiji grinned and shook his head. "Nope…I know she misses you heaps…so she'll be glad to see you…"

He stopped dead. "Whoa…who said anything about me seeing her?"

Keiji perked a brow, then looked down at his father curiously. "Well…there's no harm in it, right?"

Akuma paused, then sat down on the curb of the sidewalk, pulling Keiji down to plop him onto his lap. "You don't really understand how hard it is for that to be possible, do you Keiji?"

The sudden change in tone scared the boy slightly…for the idea that he wouldn't one day have both of his parents with him, and that alone – Akuma didn't scare him one bit. He loved his father as much as his mother…though he'd only seen him once.

"Well, I don't see why it's so hard. I mean…"

Akuma cut the boy off. "We're worlds apart Keiji…it's impossible for you to be able to stay with both of us at the same time. And your mother has taken good care of you for the last nine years; naturally, she's the parent that will no doubt look after you until you're old enough to do so for yourself."

Keiji felt his heart sink in his chest, burdened with the pain of that information. Basically, it meant that he would be cut off from his beloved father…and be destined to become one of those angels entirely. Sure, he loved being an angel, a messenger of 'good'…but part of him had always yearned for the fire on the other side – the other half of him. He was not entirely angel after all…there was still that more animal, that adventurous, defiant, determined, stubborn heart of a demon within him…the main reason he made the expedition all the way out here.

"But Otousan…I don't want to be without you…" He cast his brilliant eyes aside, looking down at the sidewalk below, a sad sigh of resignation escaping his lips. "But I understand if you don't want me around."

Had it really sounded so much like he'd rejected the boy? His son? That hadn't been his intention at all. For the mere suggestion of such, however, Akuma felt intensely guilty. His fingers gently threaded through the thick raven hair below him, and pressed the boy's head to his chest possessively. "No Keiji, that's not what I meant to say…" He felt the little arms wrapping around him, and returned the gesture with his own, much larger, much more muscular arms. "I'd love to have you stay with me, I'd love to raise you alongside your mother…but it's not possible for the simple reason of the racial boundaries that exist on our world." 

No doubt the words escaped the youngster, so, he elaborated. "Demons are scornful of angels…your mother would have a really hard time getting on down here. And in Heaven, angels are very intolerant of my kind. It doesn't matter how 'open-minded' they call themselves…they still believe themselves to be better than us by default, merely because they take in the 'good' humans, and we're stuck with the evil-doers."

He felt Keiji's head nod a little against his chest. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you, okay? Never forget that…because even though I don't know you very well yet, I'm still proud of you…"

The arms around his waist tightened…and he smiled. "Maybe one day…one day when we can all learn from human example…when racial boundaries are abolished…heck…when THE Boundary is abolished…we could all live together happily."

The boy leaned up to look his father in the eye after a moment. "I guess I have a legacy to carry out, huh Otousan?"

Akuma blinked. "What do you mean?" Those were big words for a small boy.

"Well," Keiji begun, feeling much happier already once he'd learned a new purpose in his existence, "Since I'm half and half, people hafta get used to me being a bit like them and a bit not. So when I'm older, I'll be able to convince people on both sides that one is as good as the other…so demons can like angels, and angels can stop thinking they're so much better…because there isn't that much difference between us, really."

A deep chuckle escaped Akuma, and he hugged the boy. "You're smart for your age, you know that? You're smarter than everyone on this godforsaken planet. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before…"

Keiji giggled, and snuggled up against his father. For someone with a reputation of being dangerous to cross, he certainly was a cool Dad. "I always thought about it like that cuz I look so different to all my friends. When I saw all those demon kids when I came her first, I realised that I was like the best of both. So one day, when I'm big n' stuff, I'm going to make our races become friends…like you and Okaasan."

"That's a brilliant idea. I can't wait for that day to come…" It wasn't simply humouring the child either; it was a sincere thought. 

Keiji was going to say something further, but a roughed-up-looking soccer ball whizzed past his arm and hit the wall behind them with a loud thump, rebounded, and rolled into Keiji's foot.

He jumped up as Akuma let him go, and picked the ball up, looking around for the owner.

It happened to be a scarlet preteen demon boy, probably the same age as Keiji himself. He'd been about to rush over and snatch it back, but when he saw who – or what – Keiji was, he'd stopped dead. The group of kids behind him did the same, unsure as to what action to take.

"Uh…is this your ball?" The sudden tension in the atmosphere was apparent and unnerving.

"Yeah…it is…can we please have it back?"

Keiji shrugged. "Of course…" He tossed it back to the boy, and looked back at his father over his shoulder.

Akuma smirked somewhat, and watched the interaction.

The kids hastily went back to kicking their ball around…except for one. A pale lilac girl left the others to play, and wandered over to Keiji. "You're an angel, huh?"

He scratched the back of his head shyly. "Kinda."

She blinked. Her eyes were a startling shade of bright emerald green. Like all demons, they had a luminescent quality about them…a characteristic of powerful night vision common in her species. "Kinda?"

He smiled and waved a hand behind him. "Yeah…he's my Otousan."

The girl peeked around him, seeing Akuma sitting there, watching in a half-interested manner. She smiled and waved before turning back to the strange boy. "So who's your Mom?"

"She's an angel…"

For a moment, she had nothing to say. "Wow…so you're half of each?"

He nodded and smiled proudly. "Yup…"

The girl looked him up and down, thoughtful. "Which do you like being more?"

Now how was he supposed to answer that? "Well…I was born in Heaven, and I live with my Okaasan…" The young girl looked a little disappointed for a moment, but he continued. "But I like being a demon just as much as being an angel…because both are just as cool as each other, y'know? Don't let anyone tell you anything different…because I've been to both places now, and I've met lots of each…and they're all awesome."

Now she was smiling brightly, and waved her friends to shut up as they yelled at her to return to the game. "In a minute!" She turned back to Keiji. "Well…I hope I'll see you again. You're the coolest angel I've ever seen…" He blushed slightly, smiling down at the ground shyly. "And…you're kinda cute too…"

Now he was really blushing…he waved to her as she raced back into the game. As they roared off down the street, he walked back over and sat on Akuma's lap. 

"Did you have fun making more new friends?" 

Keiji grinned. "Yeah…now I KNOW that demons and angels are equally as cool."

Akuma ruffled his hair and stood up. "Good…now that we know that, we can start heading back home…"

The boy's face fell. "No, you can't…" The look on Akuma's face was enough to stop him in his tracks. 

"Kazuya's nearly here, I can sense him…two hours has passed…it's time to go home."

Though he pouted, he knew it would get nowhere. Grasping his father's hand, he followed him back to the meeting place, where indeed, Kazuya was sitting, waiting. And interesting sight he was too, in this place. They were the only pair of white wings in sight, after all, and considering Kazuya's height and power, they were huge. The tone of his skin helped him to stick out even more.

Of course, he didn't mind one bit. He simply stood up as he saw the two coming, and nodded to his counterpart. "You ready to go back, Keiji?"

The boy shook his head…only to get a rough nudge in the ribs. "Ow…yes."

"Actually," Akuma interrupted before Kazuya could speak, "I'm going to take him home." The idea of crossing over into angel territory had him a little nervous…he knew the stares and comments he'd get…but he wanted to see Mitsukai again, and to prove that he wasn't an incapable guardian of a child – that he'd looked after Keiji well.

Kazuya's expression was that of uncertainty. "Are you sure?"

Unlike his former host, Akuma had a fiery temper, rather than Kazuya's cool and level-headedness. "Damnit Kazuya, if I'm sure I'm sure! He's my son not yours…" His tone was terse, though not that of outrage. His voice remained low, just with a dangerous hint of venom in it.

Of course, the Mishima was unperturbed. "Fine, have it your way…but since I've got to head back that way I'll go with you."

Akuma made no further comment, and simply picked Keiji up, and leapt into the air, carrying the both of them across the skies toward the Boundary at tremendous speed. Of course, Kazuya had no trouble keeping the pace, though he hung back by around fifty metres or so.

The flight through the heat was a little on the stressful side, but once the Boundary was crossed, the dying heat was replaced by the cool of the night. That was when Akuma realised he had absolutely no idea where the Hell he was going…or in this case, where the Heaven he was going; after all, he had never visited Mitsukai before, and didn't know where her home was.

Thoughtfully perhaps, Kazuya darted ahead of them, flying low, and led the way by a few hundred metres, saving Akuma the embarrassment of having to ask…what after that show of anger and defiance and the like. 

It was a fast journey from then on out, considering the speed and power behind the two pairs of wings responsible. Kazuya eventually got too far ahead to be seen, but as soon as Akuma knew the general direction, he was fine. 

Perhaps another half an hour later, he saw the small clearing in the forest, the tiled roof…he knew from the fidgeting of the boy in his arms that it was 'home'. Silently, a little way down the path, he landed, and placed Keiji on his feet. He had to hold the boy's hand and almost literally drag him…he was resisting. What was the problem with going home? Certainly it wouldn't be Mitsukai's influence. Then again, aren't all nine-year-old boys just a little defiant every now and again?

As they made their way up to the house, Akuma saw Mitsukai and Kazuya standing in the doorway of the small house, their features indistinct against the bright lights from inside. He heard the deep chuckle of his counterpart, who noticed him walking up the path with Keiji. He smiled, and turned to leave. "I'll see you later…you have company." After nodding at Mitsukai, he took to the air, leaving the family alone.

Though she knew he was coming, she was still surprised. "Akuma…Keiji!"

She reached down to pick the boy up, but he stayed firmly attached to his father's arm. "Keiji?"

He shook his head, and stayed attached. Akuma tried to gently pry himself off the kid, after all, it wasn't fair on Mitsukai to have him behave like this. "Since he made the effort to come all the way to see me, I thought I'd make the effort to bring him back, too." Not a brilliant excuse, but the truth was often the best.

She sighed, and knelt down in front of her son. "Do you know how much trouble you've caused?"

Keiji bit his lower lip, and looked away. "I don't care…"

Akuma squeezed the small hand in his own. "Keiji…" The warning tone in his voice, for once, didn't affect the child.

"I don't. I really don't care." He looked up into his mother's eyes with a frighteningly defiant expression…dark, almost evil. Yes, he was most definitely a demon.

For once, the look on the angel's face would rival that of an enraged demon. "I don't care whether you give a damn or not, young man. You're only nine years old, you're too young to go gallivanting off to the other side of the border, especially without telling me!"

He considered himself officially scalded. Tears formed in his eyes, and he found himself unable to stop them from falling down his cheeks. "I only did it because I want you two to be together, okay? I want to have a Mom and a Dad…not just one or the other! It's so lonely…"

At that, even Akuma felt the sting of the words. Mitsukai was reduced to tears soon after. She said nothing, only clung to her son…who finally relented and returned the gesture. Akuma of course was unsure as to what he should be doing at this point…he found himself standing uselessly beside the sobbing pair. From within the house he saw a few figures approaching. It turned out it was a small group of angels, who immediately knelt down to comfort Mitsukai…most of them, at some point, gave Akuma a stare or a glare, or a mixture of the two.

He overheard the mutterings between them, and couldn't help but glare heavily. "You know, I can understand every word you're all saying…my hearing is much better than yours is. Not only that, but I believe such derogatory comments are expected of humans sent to MY department, not yours."

They all silenced, considering themselves sufficiently abraded. "Besides, you can stop your guessing as to why I am here. Just take a closer look at Keiji and I.

They did so, and by now, Mitsukai had regained her composure, and was simply holding her son. The pieces fell together. The mysterious father of the enigmatic half angel had finally been revealed. Through her tearful eyes, Mitsukai found herself immensely proud, and smiled likewise.


	7. Peace Offerings

Of course, Mitsukai hadn't hesitated to drag everyone back inside the house once she'd fully regained her composure – on Keiji's demand, Akuma joined the group, but remained thoroughly uncomfortable in the alien environment. As the six or seven angels all sat down on chairs and sofas in the living room, Akuma made himself comfortable sitting cross-legged on the floor…Keiji immediately bounded into his lap before anyone could give him a cease and desist order against doing so.

The lilac demon stayed silent the entire time as the others talked…Keiji amused himself with fiddling with Akuma's claws. The conversation, as he'd predicted, centred around him, the boy's origins, and his people…typical angels.

One woman with flowing golden locks of hair behind her was particularly annoying…speaking as if Akuma wasn't even there. "Honestly Mitsukai…if I were you I'd be worried about the boy. He might just turn animal when he grows older…"

That so far had been the most insulting comment he'd heard, and Akuma decided to stop holding back in silence. After all, she was being particularly rude. That, and his silence was killing him…he hated biting his tongue. 

"I'd hate to say it, but if he grows up to have morals like yours, then he _will_ be somewhat of an animal, yes…" He gave the woman a heated glare. "Since you have no sense of dignity when it comes to badmouthing people in front of them, that is."

The room went silent…the tension in the air was most obvious to Mitsukai. Keiji turned around on Akuma's lap, and placed his small hands on his father's cheeks. "Even though it's not what she meant…I want to grow up to look more like an 'animal'…I like your claws and your horns and your fangs and your tail…"

Mitsukai smiled to herself, and Akuma grinned a little, exposing the aforementioned fangs…not particularly wide, but most definitely unnaturally long to be considered your average, everyday canines. They were definitely sharp, too. Very sharp.

The boy grinned back, and turned around in his Dad's lap. "You know, I think the teachers at school are dumb."

An older male smiled gently at Keiji, an replied softly…almost in that patronising tone adults so often use on children. "Oh? And why is that, Keiji?"

"Because they always tell us that demons are more like animals than us…"

Akuma's bright eyes rolled back slightly, but he smirked lopsidedly. "In a way they're right…unlike you angels, we've had to maintain our 'animal' attributes throughout our evolution, rather than let our features become refined and redundant." Everyone's attention was locked on the demon out of curiosity. All but two had never met a demon before…and they'd expected them to be brash, rude, obnoxious, smelly, and somewhat evil. It turned out that this particular one was anything but. "After all, we constantly contend with and control the worst humans that are thrown off Earth. We need the extra strength and power, and we need what might be generalised as 'bony protuberances' as both defence and offence. Thus, you could say, that we are more similar to many animal species, rather than the rather redundant human race."

Silence hung in the room as a thick cloud of tension, awe and shock for several seconds. Between those pointed purple ears was a mighty mind, it seemed. This demon was not to be underestimated…hopefully, dear little Keiji would inherit that formidable intellect.

The blonde spoke up again, eventually. "We've seen what Kazuya thought of you as all those years ago," she began, a rather smarmy element in her voice, "and from that, I believe we're justified in thinking of you as animalistic in more ways than just physical appearance."

Akuma could see this quickly developing into a philosophical argument…but hell, he loved a good argument, especially when there was someone to be taken down. He remained perfectly calm, and let Keiji continue to play with his claws. "You saw me through a child's eyes, a child's interpretation." He smirked slightly. "You of all creatures should know that a demon is quite a frightening being to a five-year-old. I was more than twice his height and built like his father…I don't think my eye colour helped matters. His hatred and emotional interpretation of my reasons for being there for him resulted in me seeming like somewhat of a Devil…hence the name they bestowed upon me."

The woman stood corrected, but didn't interrupt to let him know. He continued. "As Kazuya grew, he became increasingly stubborn, and began to resent my presence during his adolescence. He wanted privacy and freedom, and by then, he'd already come to know me as a 'source of evil', as textbooks often referred to my kind as. Thus, I gained my reputation of being the supposed evil force behind a wounded soul seeking vengeance."

The older man interrupted him at that point; or so he thought – Akuma had already finished with his little tale. He had nothing more to say that was of interest to these people; they were only interested in condemning him for crimes he never committed, or in stereotyping him to the best of their abilities. He'd proved them wrong, and that's all he'd wanted to do. "That whole soul-stealing issue…since none of us have ever been brave enough to investigate…" He didn't know how to ask the question – do you eat people's souls?

Akuma rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "What makes you think it's anything but a legend? Honestly…I would have thought more of even you. Demons and angels, as far as I know, have the exact same abilities. We're all here for the same reason after all, aren't we? You can't take people's souls, can you? Didn't think so…" that, though abrupt, was sufficient enough an answer for these people.

The yawn of a certain young boy stopped the proceedings before they could escalate, and Mitsukai, completely opposed to the idea of an argument arising in her poor little house, jumped at the opportunity for an interruption. "Keiji, bed time!"

Keiji groaned and rolled his eyes, clinging once again to Akuma. "I don't wanna…"

He stopped with Mitsukai fired a glare at him. He sighed. "Okay okay…only if Otousan takes me though…"

Mitsukai's guests chuckled…some at the sweet innocence of the boy, others nervously…considering who the child's father was. Akuma, on the other hand, didn't even need to look up at Mitsukai for confirmation. He knew that when a mother says bedtime, it's bedtime – she after all was the primary caregiver for the child. He stood, careful not to knock anything with the sharp claws on the tops of his wings, and picked Keiji up, letting the boy lean over his shoulder. "Alright you…"

Keiji giggled softly and clung to Akuma's neck. He waved to the others over his father's shoulder until they disappeared from view around the corner of the hall. Akuma plopped the boy down onto the bed, who scrambled down to get his pyjamas, change into them, and get under the covers as fast as possible.

As he did, Akuma spotted something small, fuzzy and brown hidden beneath the pillow. Curious, he reached down to pick it up…it turned out to be a rather manhandled teddy-bear. 

Keiji blushed heavily, and reached up to snatch the plush away. As soon as he did, he shoved it under the pillow and looked up innocently. "You didn't see anything…"

Akuma simply smirked and picked the bear up again, making Keiji blush even more. Great…now his father knew that he had a stuffed toy! What sort of a man would he think of him as? What sort of a man has a teddy-bear?!

"What's his name?"

Keiji bit his lip, contemplating. He gave in. "Fuzzums."

Akuma's long, slender fingers grasped the bear's arms from behind and made them move up and down alternately, and placed the bear down on Keiji's chest as he did so. "Well, Fuzzums says it's time to go to sleep…" He spoke in the same rhythm as the bear's arms were moving to.

The boy giggled, and reached out to grab the bear…this time, he didn't condemn it to a night's sleep beneath the pillow, but held it in his arms proudly. After fidgeting about in the covers for a few moments, Keiji finally let his elbow slip over the top of the sheets, and fell still, looking up at his father expectantly.

Akuma leaned down, smiling ever so softly, and kissed his son's forehead. "Konbanwa, Keiji."

He let out a soft yawn, and snuggled up against the bear's head. "Good night, Daddy…"

Pride overcame Akuma, and he broke out into a grin accordingly. This was his son…_his_ son…and he was the most magnificent creature he'd ever seen. He ran a hand, ever so carefully, through the boy's raven tresses, and stood up, preparing to leave as the golden eyes resting against the pillow drifted closed.

As he reached the door, Keiji's sleepy voice floated up from the bed. "Will you be there in the morning, Otousan?"

He paused for a moment, and thought about it. He nodded, and gave Keiji another lop-sided smirk. "Yes, I will be…don't worry, I'm not going anywhere…go to sleep!"

Before long, Akuma rejoined the group in the living room, and walked back to his spot on the carpet. 

Smiling cheekily, Mitsukai patted the chair of the seat she was sitting on. "Come over here, Akuma-san…don't sit over there on your own!"

_Why not…_ he thought, and went over to the new perch he was assigned. He hadn't been sitting on it for even a few seconds before she wrapped her arm around his waist and dragged him down onto the cushion beside her; they managed to somehow fit across the entire thing, though somewhat cramped in the process. 

The blonde woman looked on in partially masked horror as she snuggled up to the masculine chest of this…demon. How could Mitsukai do that? It must be hideous…great huge hairy stinky demon after all. They didn't notice her stares though, and before long, they were making themselves comfortable in each other's arms on that cramped little armchair. 

The conversation from before continued once again, only this time, with a slightly more amiable tone. They'd overheard the saga of putting the boy to bed – and most had decided that demons, perhaps, weren't the hellish creatures they were made out to be by so many. This one, despite his reputation that resounded even in Heaven till this day, was nowhere near as terrible as they'd thought he was…he was almost approachable. Mitsukai made him look almost cuddly. 

Behind them, way off in the darkness of the corridor, no one seemed to notice a pair of brilliant golden eyes, innocent and gentle in the blackness of the unlit hall, watching…with unseen ears listening to every word.


	8. Here I Stay

A/N: I haven't found the urge to write this one for so long...but finally. The chapter is finished. I started the same day I updated the last one, too ;; Blargh.

Anyway, here's a little more Mitsukai and Akuma goodness. This one has a rather high rating, however; it involved some saucy stuff. **Here's your warning: This chapter contains adult themes. If you're sensitive to such things, or are under age, then TURN BACK and wait for the next chapter!**

***

Keiji watched in silence as the adults talked amongst themselves…for what seemed like hours. He smiled softly to himself when he saw his mother drag his father down next to her and snuggled up against him on that tiny little armchair…it was so funny watching adults act like kids.

After ages and ages, he felt his eyes begin to drift shut…it was a pity he still wanted to stand in the hall, watching the group talk. Finally, however, the others had decided to go back home; after all, work would start for some in a few hours, since it was early in the morning. 

Soon enough, everyone was gone except for his parents. Though he was tired, he watched intently, slightly worried, as the two talked onward. He didn't want his mother to let Akuma just go! He beat a hasty retreat when the two stood, however…and watched from the doorframe in his room. For another minute or so, the angel and the demon chatted…then, giggling, Mitsukai grasped Akuma's wrist and dragged him playfully toward her room.

Keiji smiled softly, and climbed back into bed with a yawn. If she was taking him to her room, that meant that she was going to share her bed with him, just the way parents are supposed to! This was Keiji's dream come true; his parents together, happy…though, he knew it wouldn't last.

Footsteps drew closer, and Keiji quickly shut his eyes, feigning sleep. The two adults came into his room, whispering so they wouldn't 'wake him'…he felt his mother's hand run through his hair gently, heard his father whispering to her…

"I still think you should tell Kazuya about him."

A slight pause. Then; "About Jin…I dunno, he may not take it well. After all, he doesn't know he has a son…"

Keiji forced himself not to react. Uncle Kazuya has a son?

"Why shouldn't he know? I mean…you told me about this little rascal here…" He felt Akuma's hand pet his hair. "How do you think he'd feel if he found out we were holding such vital information?"

The two walked out of the room eventually, making their way to Mitsukai's. "How do you think he'd feel if he found out he was missing so much not being on Earth?'

***  
  
It was a short time later that Keiji had completely fallen asleep; he couldn't hear a thing that was going on just down the hall.

Mitsukai was lying face-up on the bed, with Akuma half over her, an arm around her. So far he'd barely been able to keep his lips off her, whether it be kissing her neck, nipping at her collar-bone, kissing her cheeks…it just felt so good to be back with her once again.

She smiled softly, and giggled slightly as she pushed him over onto his back. A moment later, she lay across his chest, petting his thick black hair.

"You know, I could use a bed-warmer more often…"

He chuckled at her, and leaned up to kiss her again. "I would be much obliged…"

Of course, she smirked and dodged him, letting him kiss at the air. "Well…shall we make up for lost time?"

He smirked right back at her, flipping her over the next moment. "Suits me…" Without waiting for any more hints, he proceeded to slowly and teasingly strip Mitsukai of her clothes…the shirt, the soft white trousers, and eventually her underwear…until she was sprawled across the bed, stark naked.

"Hey, hey…" She playfully scolded him as he began to explore with his hands…here she was, completely unclothed…and he was still dressed! Of course he momentarily paused with the unexpected orders, and found himself being flipped over again by the smaller woman. Without hesitation, she pulled off his jeans and shorts, tossing them onto the pile her clothes had formed just a little while before.

Mitsukai paused a moment to take a good look at the prize she had unwrapped…yes, despite his origins, he still had what one could loosely call a 'heavenly body'…he was too attractive, and too well-built. He still amazed and tantalised her, even after all the time they'd known each other. Not that she was left that much time to stare, oh no…he grabbed her, shoved her down (as gently as one could imagine a demon doing, that is) and pulled the covers over the both of them…after all, he wasn't used to the temperate climate in these parts. 

Once again, his hands began to wander…this time, hers did the same from beneath him. For the moment, both were aware of the presence of the child down the hall, and endeavoured to stay silent, so as not to wake him. Eventually though, Akuma began to slip a little further down the bed, his face disappearing from Mitsukai's immediate view…under the covers…and a second later, she felt a distinct nip against her chest. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she tried not to squeak; particularly as she felt it again. Soon enough, she felt his teeth and tongue against her too, and his arms wrapping firmly around her waist.

It felt so good to be touched after so long…whimpering softly, she reached forward and entwined her fingers amongst thick handfuls of dark hair, tugging on it softly every now and again. The result was more pleasing than she might have thought, though she let her hands reach up to grasp his horns after a moment, holding them firmly in place. Still, he was able to move his head about freely…he was too strong for her own good! 

A soft whimper escaped her throat as he moved further down again. It looked incredibly amusing watching him…a giant moving mound beneath the white linen on her bed. His tail had dropped down beside the bed by now, and with a little effort and stretching, she was able to grasp it. She felt him freeze for a moment, but he resumed what he was doing shortly after, the long, slender limb wiggling back and forth playfully in her hands.

Again, she felt him shifting downward, trying to reach more important places. Of course, things didn't go as planned, and he stopped abruptly. Curious, Mitsukai lifted the covers and glanced down at him. He looked up at her for a moment, then behind him…he was about to fall through the covers at the end of the bed and onto the floor, even though he was crouching – wings wrapped low around his body so they didn't tear the sheets or get in the way.

With a grin she pulled him up out of there, and pushed him down onto the other side of the bed. Ignoring her body's urges to let him continue his affections, she leaned over him, gently licking down the line the muscle on his chest formed at the centre. A soft moan escaped his lips, and he squirmed for a moment...but she held him in place with a hand on either side of his chest, and continued her ministrations upon him with the pointed tip of her tongue.

The touch upon his chest began to drive him insane almost immediately. His hands reached down and grasped her head as she slowly worked her way further and further down his lilac body. After a moment he ceased his squirming and concentrated in taking the tie out of her hair, letting the soft golden locks fall out of their bun and down over her gentle features. As her hair was released, he threw the tie aside and embedded his fingers amongst the gold mass, letting his head drop to the side on the pillow as he watched her.

His scent wafting up through her nostrils, the sheer heat from his body, was enough to drive her onward, barely in check of her desires. Slowly, surely, she worked her way downward. With almost every little nip, each little kiss, she felt the powerful muscles beneath her tense and contract slightly; she didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know she was pushing the right buttons. 

The feeling of her lips on his skin was delightful; for some reason, the culture barrier here served as nothing but added fuel to the inferno burning between the two. Once Akuma had realised that Mitsukai was not arrogant and pretentious like many angels he'd seen or heard of before, and Mitsukai likewise had come to realise that Akuma wasn't evil, just tended toward more violent answers to solutions...the flame had been ignited. That flame was burning deep inside him at that point, and it took all of his self-control to resist forcing Mitsukai's head down just a little further, and end his delicious torment.

And torment was the right word here indeed. Instead of finally grasping him below, she passed straight by the area begging for contact completely, and knelt up, grasping his leg under the knee and petting his inner thigh with her free hand. With a retained groan, he dug his claws into the bed sheets...despite the fact that he knew that probably wasn't good for them – especially after he heard the claws tearing through the fabric, leaving distinct little rips in several places.

With a little smirk, Mitsukai trailed her hand up just a little further. "I know what you want..."

Akuma rolled his eyes, smiling in the process. So it was going to be a game tonight, was it? He could play games...he could play games very well indeed. Instead of falling for the begging trick, he sat up and flipped her onto her back again, one hand tweaking a nipple standing out from her chest. "I know what you want too..." Ignoring his desperation to force her down on him, he let his fingers slowly trail downward...but did exactly the same thing as she did by avoiding the one place he knew she'd want touched.

She squirmed despite herself. "You tease..."

Snickering, he leaned down and captured her lips in a short kiss. "I could say the same about you."

With a giggle, Mitsukai threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "You're such a little devil."

That brought forth a snort of laughter. "Gee, I never noticed..." Even with his head being held down, he was free to move to a degree where he could swing one leg over her and straddle her waist – which is exactly what he did; kneeling over her, he let his hardness touch against her stomach, causing a unanimous shiver to erupt momentarily from the both of them. These games, in Akuma's opinion, had gone far enough...but apparently the feeling wasn't mutual.

After a moment, she smirked and pushed him off again. "Let's not jump into things too quickly..."

As he landed on his back again, he ruffled his wings slightly. "Why not?"

She smiled back at him coyly, and ran her hand over his abdominal muscles. "Because I want to make it special..."

"But it _is_ special...we hardly ever see each other, so..."

She cut him off with the soft touch of her fingers against his lips. Satisfied that he'd been silenced for at least a moment, she returned to kneeling between his legs, and leaned down, blowing cool air against him gently, before nuzzling his thigh again with her cheek. He flinched noticeably, sucking a breath in through his clenched teeth, and moaned softly as she assaulted his leg again. Unable to resist any longer, one of his hands shot downward...but before he could do anything, she grabbed his wrist, and placed it down against the mattress.

He squirmed against her, growling. "Mitsukai..." He _hated_ being teased. 

However, she seemed to ignore him, and continued to pet his thighs, no matter how much he struggled against her. It seemed there was no way to tame a demon...but she would damn well try. After a while, though, it became apparent that he was just going to fight her as long as she teased him. With a soft sigh, she leaned back up over him, looking down into his brilliant golden eyes, and smiled. Soon enough, the smile grew to a smirk...and she finally wrapped both hands around the very site that was so desperate for attention.

The feeling was inexplicable...he hadn't expected the contact, and being so desperate, so riled up...when it came, it gave him one hell of a jolt to say the least. Remembering Keiji, he managed to keep his voice down to a degree, but the cry of sheer delight was still fairly loud. His back arched, pressing their chests together, and his claws dug into the sheets again.

In an effort to silence him, Mitsukai forced her lips against his, slowly pushing him back down into the pillow. After a moment, she broke the kiss. "Now tell me...was that better like that, or would you have preferred a more boring touch?"

Since he was now breathing fairly heavily, he let out a huff of laughter as he leaned up to nuzzle her shoulder. "You do realise that you're just going to push me over the edge faster like that?"

"Well that just means I'll be pushing you over the edge more, in that case..." She slid a leg over him, and pushed down against his endowment, letting out a soft breath as she felt him against her. As his arms locked around her waist, she let him slip inside, and slid downward, taking as much of him in as possible. She hadn't felt this way in years...and until that moment, she hadn't realised how much she missed him. As strange as it was that she'd fallen in love with her former archenemy...she couldn't think of a better way for it to be; especially with the body he had!

As she stopped moving downward on him, Akuma found resisting pushing her down all the way extremely difficult...but he didn't want to hurt her, after all. Instead, he exchanged positions with her. Finding herself lying beneath him again, Mitsukai smiled and wrapped her legs around his waist, rather than pushing him off again. After all, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her...but it was evident who had more control. 

Before long, Akuma began moving within her, whether she was ready for it or not...but she was, nevertheless, and responded with a soft whimper into his pointed ear, holding him close with her arms. What she'd always found amazing was his likeness to Kazuya; when in battle, he was renowned for his brutality...but in a more intimate setting, he was incredibly gentle. One might have, in heaven, expected his particular activity with a demon to be rather violent and physical, but the slow, gentle movements of the man above her denied that theory its place in reality...at least for now.

The urge within him, however, was to make a quicker job of it...but he knew that wasn't how angels liked it done. Despite their origins, Akuma had decided he truly loved her – demons _could love, despite their negative associations, and did so as much as humans or angels might – but Akuma was, once again, similar to Kazuya...it took a lot of self-negotiation to actually accept the intimate feelings. And with these intimate feelings, the dark-haired demon had decided that he was going to try, _try_, to make a job of it that Mitsukai would forever remember him by and love him for. To his understanding, that meant slow and gentle. So, he resisted that urge to liven up the pace, and occupied himself with nuzzling her shoulder beneath him._

Mitsukai felt herself drifting off into a state of pure bliss. It had been so long, and the way they were doing it was so perfect, so gentle, so loving...if it were possible to go beyond heaven she would have. She did, however, after a while, notice that the muscles through Akuma's shoulders and back were tense...he wasn't acting for his enjoyment; he was acting for hers...and restraining himself mightily in the process. For that, she felt guilty...besides, maybe the wild side would be fun.

With a chuckle, she tilted her hips up toward him, and pulled him down with her ankles. He almost collapsed on top of her with the sudden yanking, and glanced down at her with a mildly perplexed look.  Smirking, she leaned up against him again, begging him onward.

Of course, he didn't hesitate to do so, and continued moving at a greater pace, one hand slipping down below her waist to push her up toward him a little more. The result...he found the perfect way to strike against a little spot deep inside her...causing her to cry out in delight, digging her fingernails into his back.

The sensation of slight pain in his back sent shivers down his spine, and he paused a moment to kiss her deeply, then stared down at her, smirking. "Do it again."

Recovering her breath slowly, she looked back up at him...a little lost. "Do what?"

"Dig your fingernails into my back..."

The thought of bringing pain intentionally made her sick to the stomach for the moment. "But it'll hurt..."

He snorted softly with laughter. "Of course it will. Go on..."

After a moment, she shook her head. "But I don't want to hurt you, koibito..."

"What if I want you to?"

She sighed...the idea of inflicting pain, to her, was appalling...but since he wanted it, and since she hadn't really given anything he wanted so far, she took a breath, and scratched her fingernails over the base of his neck and between his shoulders. He shuddered against her, releasing a soft breath against her neck.

"Harder..." His voice was a near whisper, and laden with lust. She couldn't believe he liked that...but she complied, and dug a little deeper...she feared that if she went deeper still, she'd break the skin and draw blood. This time, he hissed as he drew a breath, his back arching up into her fingers, and nipped the soft flesh on her neck as she withdrew.

"I can't believe you like that..." For the moment, she was just a little disturbed. After all, she'd never imagined herself doing something so...so...kinky.

"I don't like it, I _love it..." The arm below her looped tightly around the back of her waist, holding her close to him. He could almost sense her distaste for causing pain, so he didn't force her to do it any longer, despite how wonderful it felt. Instead, he continued moving within her as gently as he possibly could at that moment, restraining himself to the nth degree._

Again, she could tell he was holding back. It was almost painful to watch him, despite the pleasure he was bestowing upon her. "Akuma...you're going to have a stroke if you go any slower."

He growled deeply into her ear, drawing her close again. "I thought you said you wanted to make this special..."

"I did...but not at your expense." She clung to him with her legs, her heels locked together behind his back. "Just go at your own pace, okay?"

This time he didn't even hesitate as soon as she gave him permission, and did just that. 'His own pace' was rather much faster than what she was expecting, and quite a bit rougher, particularly as he seemed to enjoy lightly biting her neck from time to time...but there was something exciting about the change of mood. Instead of simply lying back and taking it, she moved with him, tightly holding onto his shoulders, urging him on. Deep inside her, there was an animalistic passion waiting to be sated...possibly from the evolutionary past of her species; after all, ages ago, Demons and Angels were one species.

It didn't last long, this sudden burst of heightened activity; within a few minutes the two were pushed to the very edge. Mitsukai clung to Akuma's toned body as she cried out in ecstasy, nearly deafening him in the process. Not that he noticed; he was too preoccupied at the time, trying not to bite her as he nearly lost control of himself. The endless game had come to a conclusion finally...all the playing, toying, teasing...it had all ended in that few seconds of pure bliss.

For a while, the two simply lay in each other's arms, panting, enjoying the closeness. A minute or so passed before Akuma rolled onto his side beside Mitsukai, draping a large lilac arm across her waist. She turned and snuggled down against him, resting her head and hands against his broad chest. For the first time in ages, the two had finally been reunited and were the way they were meant to be; safe and warm in each other's arms.

As sleep began to overwhelm the couple, Mitsukai's eyes drifted open a moment. "You don't think we woke Keiji, do you?"

He chuckled softly. "Doubt it."

"Well, in that case...let's get some shut-eye."  
  
***  
  


Down the hall, the world was darn and silent, except for the soft, intermittent breaths of a small angel. Despite the noise from the other room, Keiji had managed to let himself sleep.

Ponderings of another child haunted his dreams...what was he like? Would he want to meet his father? Jin, that was his name...oughtn't Kazuya know about his child?

The morning would tell, he'd decided before he slept; as he did so, the thought stayed on. Yes, tomorrow, he ought to know.


End file.
